In the Footsteps of Killers is a new three-part Channel 4 true crime documentary series in which Silent Witness star Emilia Fox and criminologist Professor David Wilson re-examine three cold cases.
Speaking about the series, Professor Wilson said: “This is true crime being presented in a completely different way, as unfolding drama. There are no talking heads, and no voiceover – it’s simply Emilia and myself reacting to the circumstances that we find ourselves in.”
As well as making this documentary series, Emilia is also of course busy working on Silent Witness Season 24, which will hit our screens next year.
Here's everything we know so far about In the Footsteps of Killers...
When will In the Footsteps of Killers air?
In the Footsteps of Killers is a three-part series and will start on Channel 4 on Wednesday June 9 at 10pm.
All three episodes will be available on All4 after the first episode has aired.
At the moment there are no plans to air In the Footsteps of Killers in the US, but we will update this page as soon as that changes.
What is In the Footsteps of Killers about?
In the Footsteps of Killers is a true crime series in which Professor David Wilson and Emilia Fox re-examine three cold cases.
What are the cold cases in In the Footsteps of Killers?
The first case involves the so-called 'Milk Carton Kids' – two boys who disappeared from Chelmsley Wood near Birmingham on Boxing Day night in 1996. “I wanted to do the ’milk carton kids’ – they were the first missing children to appear on milk cartons – because I started to teach in Birmingham in 1997, and I couldn't get over the fact that two boys could simply disappear off the face of the earth,” says Wilson.
The second is the disappearance of London estate agent Suzy Lamplugh in 1986, on the day she had an appointment to show a property to a 'Mr Kipper'.
“Suzy’s case went national, and I think most people know who the most likely suspect is,” says Wilson. “We try to find out where her body might have been disposed of using 'geo-profiling' [analysis of locations linked to crimes and suspects].”
The final case is the murder of servicewoman Rita Ellis at RAF Halton in Buckinghamshire in 1967. “Rita's is still very much a live case, because DNA from her killer has been stored appropriately for the past 50 years,” says Wilson. “The key thing there was that, using new research techniques, we could identify a large number of men who were on the base on the night that Rita was murdered, who have never been approached before.”
Who are the presenters of In the Footsteps of Killers?
Professor David Wilson is a criminologist and former prison governor with specialist knowledge about serial killers. His many TV credits include Killers Behind Bars: the Untold Story and Interview with a Murderer.
Actress Emilia Fox is best known for her long-standing role as forensic pathologist Dr Nikki Alexander in the crime drama Silent Witness. “‘Meels’, as I call her, is a good friend,” says Wilson. “I appreciate her intelligence, her sense of humour, and her ability to speak to people and put them at ease, so they can tell their compelling stories.”
Fox and Wilson previously collaborated on Jack the Ripper – the Case Reopened and they co-present the podcast If It Bleeds, It Leads. “In the podcast we interview actors who are playing, say, police officers or murderers, as well as real-life criminals, police officers and prison governors,” says Wilson. “So we’re combining our two worlds!”
Is there a trailer for In the Footsteps of Killers?
Not yet, but if a trailer is released we will update this page.
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